Review: Pinball FX2 - "Epic Quest" (XBLA)

My love for Pinball FX2 and its Zen brother is no secret. I love the game of pinball and love what Zen Studios has been doing with the game of ball beating. The newest addition to the family of tables is “Epic Quest,” a table themed around good old fashioned action RPGs. In a statement that will make you believe you're telepathic, “Epic Quest” is one of my favorite tables to date.

It may not be the deepest system, but the “Epic Quest” table does include stereotypical RPG elements like leveling up and collecting loot. It was awesome at first, but the lack of a large variety of loot made it less exciting after a significant amount of time passed. That's not to say those elements got boring, but there was little surprise after a few hours of constant play. And for those who play RPGs often, let it be known that purples exist and if you don't know what I'm talking about, just know it's more than just a pretty color. I was also surprised, the pleasant kind, to discover that loot carries over from game to game—as does the character level with a cap of 100—not just over the course of one game.

Click to read more ...

The new, amazing Amazing Spider-Man Official Trailer

I have always been excited to hear/see more about the Spider-Man reboot, but now, I'm more excited for this film than any other comic-related film of 2012; more than The Avengers and more than The Dark Knight Rises. It truly looks amazing.

Click to read more ...

"Pillow"

The following story is a piece of flash fiction written by yours truly. You may or may not be surprised by the type of story based on what little you know of me and, more specifically, my usual sarcastic tone. This is what I do and I hope you find something of value in that which lies below, even if it's only fodder for trolling me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Pillow"

     Knock, knock. The yellow door is all that differentiates Corey's family home from the rest, each house in the suburban subdivision is painted white with charcoal tiled roofs, no flowers, no color, only waist-high hedges blending into green grass, contrasting against white concrete, SUVs and minivans hidden behind garage doors. He peels open the door and I walk in without invitation, making a left at the family portrait next to the arched doorway leading to the living room decorated in blacks and whites with only hints of color in the form of roses and tulips. I take a seat in the full-sized sofa, blacker than asphalt, cling to one end, grab a throw pillow and slip it under my shirt. "Somebody's pregnant," Corey jokes. I pull out the pillow. "It's a baby boy!" he says, "Let's name him Pillow." I force a smile.

Finish the story with a little clickage of your mousey-mouse.

Click to read more ...

Say no to SOPA and yes to SOAP

If you want to read up on SOPA (and PIPA) and all that jazz, I recommend Nilay Patel's article over at The Verge. It may be an oldie, but it is a good; not to mention, I'm a total Verge fanman.

Another great piece from T.C. Sottek over at The Verge: "Money, power, and Congress: how lobbyists will determine the fate of SOPA" -- I got to thinking, doesn't SOPA sound like the word one would create when trying to condense "soda pop" into a single word? Conspiracy? I think the answer is an obvious yes.

Review: Zen Pinball 3D (3DS)

I am near-sighted and wear glasses. Because of this, 3D doesn't always work, is often irritating thanks to glasses over glasses, and is prone to giving me headaches. I don't have to worry about wearing glasses over glasses with the 3DS, but my other issues still exist and I tend to play most games with subtle to no 3D. This may seem like unneeded information, but I believe it's important to know where I'm coming from if, perchance, you suffer from the same problems.

I didn't expect much from Zen Pinball 3D in terms of actual 3D—I mean, it's just a pinball game after all—but the 3D is the reason I kept playing and continue to play. I love pinball and Pinball FX2—the XBLA pinball game from Zen Studios, the same studio behind Zen Pinball 3D—so I expected a great game, but I never expected a pinball game to deliver my best 3D experience to date—keep in mind, my experience with 3D is limited, but thanks to my skinny frame and living in the "Windy City," I was blown away.

Click to read more ...

PlayStation Vita sales drop even lower in second full week

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for the PlayStation Vita, it drops even lower in its second full week as the Nintendo 3DS continues to thrive and Nintendo fans all high-five. According to the data at 4gamer [link], the Vita sold a mere 42,648 units in its second full week—compared 72,479 [link] units in its first full week and 324,859 [link] during its weekend launch—which isn't a good sign, though at least the Vita outsold the Wii during its second full week—which only mustered 33,208 units.

It's still too early to run to hills screaming "nooooo" in your best Revenge of the Sith impression, but as far as signs go, those not sung by Ace of Base, this isn't good and leaves plenty of room for pessimism. Will this bring about a faster price drop than the 3DS? Will this make Sony adjust their plans in Europe and the States? Who knows—other than Sony of course—but I find this all rather interesting and am more curious as to why it's not selling instead of just raising the white flag in surrender.

Review: Windosill (iPad)

Windosill is a short little puzzle game that released on PC a few years back and recently found a new home on the iPad. I really enjoyed the game on PC and recommend said version if that's your only way of playing it, but I adore it on iPad. If you only take one thing from this forthcoming review, let it be this: the best version of Windosill—and thus, the best way to play it—is the iPad version.

It's a bit hard to review the game because it's very short and should be experienced with as little knowledge as possible, but I will do my best to whet your appetite without spoiling it. As I just said, the game is short and took me less than a half-hour to finish, but I'm not complaining; Windosill is a fantastic ride capable of starting and finishing in a single sitting and while I wouldn't pay $60, the developers aren't asking for more than a little spare change.

Click to read more ...

Review: Marvel Pinball - Vengeance and Virtue (XBLA)

I am going to start at the end like so many stories and say, right away, if you're a fan of pinball you owe it to yourself to pick up Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue right away. I have exclaimed my love for Pinball FX2 and many of their tables time and time again, so it should come as no surprise that I'm about to do it once more. The Vengeance and Virtue pack collects four tables—X-Men, Thor, Moon Knight, and Ghost Rider—and regardless of Marvel fanboyism, all four tables are as fun as Moon Knight is crazy.

Speaking of Moon Knight, his table really is a bit crazy and I love it for that. The occasional interactions with Khonshu and his dialog are fun and there's just a charm about the table, such as the way Bushman sneaks up on Moon Knight when triggering his fight. The table is a bit dull stylistically and palette-wise, but Moon Knight has never been the most colorful character; speaking purely literal here. What the table lacks in color it makes up for in charm and personality and that makes for a great Moon Knight table and a great table overall.

Click to read more ...

Review: Trine 2 (XBLA)

Trine 2 is an overload of color; it is the definition of high saturation. Take LIMBO, picture the opposite in terms of color; voilà, welcome to Trine 2. The visuals are extremely vibrant, always beautiful, and I never got bored thanks to a nice degree of variety. The environmental change between levels and the detail within delighted my senses—well, just the one sense—and tops many retail games in its downloadable frame. I could go on and on about the loving way Trine 2 stabbed my eyes with millions of little pixels, but there is, surprisingly, more than just graphical splendor when it comes to Trine 2.

If you played the original Trine, guess what, Trine 2 is more of the same; however, if you're new to the series, Trine 2 is a puzzle-platformer with occasional bits of action. The hook is the ability to switch between three different characters on the fly at any time, all of who have their own specific abilities. The mage, Amadeus, can conjure up boxes (or platforms with an upgrade) to reach new areas or manipulate the environment; the thief, Zoya, has a bow and can use a grappling hook to traverse to new heights, literally; and the knight, Pontius, can use his might to fight for what's right as he smites foes until they die—he can also open up blocked pathways with his big ol' hammer.

Click to read more ...

Freebie Alert: Jetpack Joyride, Velocispider, and cans too

A few quality games have gone free for the day and you would be a fool to pass, a fool with no class, the most foolish of fools to not download each and every one. The first game, Jetpack Joyride, I reviewed months ago and it's easily one of the best iOS games released all year. It is an extremely common "get as far as you can" game, but it's highly polished and a whole lotta fun. If you don't grab this game while it's free, you don't deserve that phone and/or tablet.

The next freebie you should pick up and play as you go camping in your tipi is Velocispider. The game is, in a way, a mashup between Space Invaders and Missile Command where you control a part velociraptor, part spider, part robot, all awesome, all ready to kick ass without needing the excuse of no bubblegum, all while protecting three innocent eggs. It's a lot of fun and one of those rare tilt-based games I find enjoyable and surprisingly comfortable to control.

Click to read more ...